Holiday treats

It’s time once again for sugar plum fairies to dance their way across Long Island stages. The holiday season on Long Island shines brightly with several versions of the holiday classic, along with numerous other activities that are sure to bring out the holiday spirit in everyone.
Here are some of the season’s top picks.

The Nutcracker by Leggz Ltd. Dance

The Rockville Centre-based troupe is first on stage each year with its annual full-length production, accompanied by the South Shore Symphony Orchestra. It’s the only performance in the area with a live 70-piece orchestra.
The production, presented by Rockville Centre Guild for the Arts, features dancers from the Boston Ballet, Washington Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Suzanne Farrell, Mark Morris, New York City Opera, Atlanta Ballet, Alvin Ailey, San Francisco Ballet, Carolina Ballet, Morphoses, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Jerome Robbins Broadway, along with over 100 young dancers from the metropolitan area.
See the holiday classic, Friday through Sunday, Dec. 4-6, at South Side Middle School, 140 Shepherd St., Rockville Centre. Performances are Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 5, 5 p.m.; Dec. 6, 4 p.m. $23, $20 seniors and under 12. (516) 766-7171.

New York Dance Theatre’s The Nutcracker
New York Dance Theatre’s production, in its 28th season, is performed in the tradition of the legendary George Balanchine. Featured soloists include New York City Ballet soloist Arch Higgins, Nicole Loizides, principal dancer of MOMIX; and Eric Ragan, formerly of the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, among others. In all, a cast of 80 children, semi-professional and professional dancers bring the holiday classic to life.
New York Dance Theatre maintains the Balanchine tradition from storyline through choreography, sets and costumes. It features original scenes, created by artistic director Frank Ohman, a former soloist with the New York City Ballet.
The six performances get underway Friday, Dec. 18, 11 and 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 19-20, 12 and 5 p.m. Performances take place at Hofstra University’s John Cranford Adams Playhouse, Hempstead. $35, $28 seniors and children 12 and under.; $18 for the Dec. 18 11 a.m. performance. (888) 695-0888 or (631) 462-0964 or www.ohmanballet.com.

Still More Nutcracker
Long Island’s professional dance company, Eglevsky Ballet, presents its annual spectacular production choreographed by the company’s artistic director, Ali Pourfarrokh. Eglevsky’s 26 dancers are joined by guest artists Violeta Angelova and Momchil Mladenov, principal dancers with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, who dance the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Cavalier. This production features 66 Long Island dance students, selected through competitive auditions.
The four performances take place at Tilles Center on Saturday, Dec. 19, at 2 and 7 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 20, 2 p.m.; Monday, Dec. 21, 6 p.m. $60, $50, $35. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, Rte. 25A, Brookville.
(516) 299-3100 or (212) 307-4100 or www.ticketmaster.com.

Old Westbury Gardens’ Holiday Celebration
Old Westbury Gardens concludes its season with its Holiday Celebration, an annual event that continues to delight visitors. A visit to Westbury House, all decked out in its holiday splendor, is always a treat this time of year.
The festivities include:
      • Holiday Celebration – Period rooms are festively decorated, with a First Night and Tree Lighting, Saturday, Dec. 5. The kids can have fun with holiday crafts and share their holiday wishes with Santa, with hot cider and cookies on the West Porch. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5-6; Friday through Sunday, Dec. 11-13 and 18-20, 10 a.m.4 p.m. $8, $5 seniors and children 12 and under.
      • Children’s Holiday Crafts – Create ornaments to decorate Santa’s tree. The decorated tree will be given to an emergency shelter for children operated by the Interfaith Nutrition Network. Saturday, Dec. 5, 12 and 19, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
      • Tea & Tour – Enjoy a guided tour of Westbury House, followed by tea and light refreshments. Reservations required. Tuesday through Thursday, Dec. 8-10 and 15-17, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. $15.
Old Westbury Gardens is located at 71 Old Westbury Rd., Old Westbury. (516) 333-0048 or www.oldwestburygardens.org.